Peach pitter



Filed Nov. 15, 1926 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 uinm 1' EM; I i INVE *OR H I 1 N 1 (ZvMW/WM7 J 7M WW V M ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 5, 193% flail? $1 v. A. TAYLOR 1,772,020

PEACH PITTER Filed Nov. 15, 1926 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .niiilllHllI INVENTOR.

WWa W A TTORNEYS.

enema Aug. a, rate UNITE stares Parana OFFICE VERNE ALTON TAYLOR, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-THIRD TO PACIFIC MACHINERY COMPANY, OF SAN FRAN- CISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION 0.1 CALIFORNIA, AND TWO-THIRDS TO JOHN KROHN, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA PEACH BITTER Application filed November 15, 1926. Serial No. 148,421.

This invention relates to peach pitting machines. I It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved peach pitting machine of simple and inexpensive construction and which is capable of operation to expeditiously halve a peach and remove the pit and spike therefrom with a minimum of waste, and which is adapted for operation on peaches of various sizes with equal efficiency.

In carrying out this object into practice I provide a pair' of halving blades lying in substantially the same plane and having contiguous cutting edges adapted to be brought together to halve a peach. Cooperating with these halving blades is a pair of flexible itting blades adapted to penetrate the peac at closely adjacent points. These flexible cutting blades engage the pit and follow the contour thereof so as to circumscribe the same. These flexible blades are then rotated in unison about the longitudinal axis of the pit so as to sever the same from the peach. The halves of the peach then separate and discharge from the machine while the flexible blades are withdrawn permitting the pit to dischar e.

One orm which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a manually operated machine embodying my invention, and disclosing the upper halving blade in inoperative position so that a peach may be placed in the machine for pitting. V

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine disclosed in Fig. 1 with parts disclosed in section, and showing the upper halving blade placed in operative position relative to the lower halving blade with the parts in the position which they assume just prior to the pitting operation.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine showing the position of the flexible blades in dotted lines as the pitting operation proceeds,

and in full lines the position of the flexible blades when the pitting operation has been completed. f

Fig. 4 is a central vertical section taken the pitting operation.

Fig. 5 is a plan section through the machine showing certain features of construction;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the manner in which the ends of the flexible pitting blades engage the guide surfaces of the halving blades during the pitting operation.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, 10 indicates a peach pitting machine embodying my invention, and which is constructed for manual operation. It is to be understood, however, that a device embodying the features of my invention may be used as a pitting unit in an automatic machine for pitting peaches with rapidity. It being manifest that other operating means than those disclosed may be'substituted for use in connection with my improved pitter without the exercise of invention.

The machine here disclosed comprises a base 11 which is preferably held stationary. Arranged on this base is a lower halving blade frame to which is secured a semi-circular lower halving blade 12. The edge 12 of this blade is preferably sharpened and is of a greater length than the diameter of the peaches to be pitted.

At the upper edge and side of the blade the blade frame is formed with a boss to which a link 15 is pivoted. The other end of this link is pivotally connected to an upper halving blade frame 17 to which an upper halving blade 18 is secured. As shown in the drawings, each halving blade is of similar shape and their straight meeting edges are sharpened so that the blades may cooperate to halve a peach. At the center of their cutting edges, each halving blade is formed with a recess. These recesses align when the blades are brought together to form an elliptically shaped peach pit receiving opening 19. In the drawings it will be noticed that this opening conforms somewhat to the shape of the pit of a peach. v

It should be stated that when it is desired to pit a peach the upper halving blade is swung to an inoperative position as shown in Fig. 1, and the peach is centered on the lower halving blade and impaled thereon so that the lower half of the pit will be aligned with the peach pit receiving opening 19, and will nest therein.

It should be stated here that it is not necessary that the upper blade be pivotally connected to the lower blade. The same result may be obtained by having either or both blades reciprocable so that they will align and their meeting edges come together to halve a peach when desired. Likewise, it is not necessary that the blades be arranged in a vertical plane as shown in the drawings, as the will operate just as efliciently regardless 0 their position.

Reference being had to Fig. 2 1t W111 be noticed that a tube 20 is arranged centrally of the lower halving blade .12. This tube is what I prefer to term a spike remover, and it has an upper sharpened end arranged at the lower extremity of the pit receiving opening 19. This tube is stationarily fixed to the lower halvin blade and leads downwardly through the base 11 so that spikes removed from the peaches operated upon by the machine may pass through the tube 20 and discharge.

Rotatably mounted on the upper halving blade frame 17 is an auxiliary frame 21 carrying a pair of spaced horizontally disposed shafts 22 and 23. These shafts extend axially with respect to the halving blades and are disposed equal distances from the vertical center of the halving blades. Secured to each shaft is a pitting blade feed roller 24 and a spur gear 25. The spur gears on the shafts are of a diameter so that they will mesh and drive the rolls in unison in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2.

.To rotate the gears 25 a lever 26 is secured to the shaft 22. This lever is provided with slots 27 arranged upon opposite sides of the point where it is connected with the shaft 22 so that a limited amount of movement may be imparted to the gears in either direction.

Carried by the rolls 24 is a pair of narrow flexible pitting blades 28, one'blade being secured to each roll at its upper end. These blades extend partially around the periphery of the rolls 24 and pass between them, and their lower ends project downwardly within a guide tube 29, this guide tube being slotted to receive the blades. At its lower end the guide slots within which the blades are mounted diver e so that the ends of the flexible pitting bla cs 28 will enter the peach at an angle.

When the shaft 22 is rotated by means of the lever 26, these narrow pitting blades penetrate the peach and engage the pit thereof. As the blades are flexible they will tend to follow the contour of the upper half of blades are recessed so that they will be guided by the marginal edges of-the pit recelving opening 19.

In order to revolve the flexible blades about the vertical axis of the halving blades, the guide tube 29 together"with the auxiliary frame 21 is rotatably mounted about the vertical axis of the halving blades as described.

From Fig. 2 it will be noticed that the upper halving blade frame 17 is formed with a cylindrical boss 30 at its top. The auxiliary frame 21 is formed with a socket 31 which is rotatably mounted upon the boss 30. This boss is bored vertically, so that the guide tube 29 may extend downwardly there:

through and through the upper halving blade to a point at the upper extremity of the elliptical' opening 19 therein. The guide tube and the auxiliary frame 21 being relatively fixed.

To rotate the -flexible pitting blades the entire auxiliary frame 21 is rotated about the Vertical axis of the machine; thus causing the side edges of the pittin blades to sever the pit from the meat of the opposite halves of the peach simultaneously.

To properly maintain the blades in alignment relative to the halving blades, I provide an aligning mechanism indicated by the numeral 32 in Fig. 2. This mechanism includes a spring-pressed pin 32 carried by the upper halving blade frame 17, which is adapted to engage openings 33 in the socket 31 of the auixiliary frame 21. This pin maintains the auxiliary frame in correct position relative to the halving blades and when it is released the auxiliary frame 21 may be revolved one-half a revolution. When this one-half a revolution is completed the pin 32 engages a second opening in the socket 31 and latches the auxiliary frame in this position. The pin 32 must again be released in order to return the blades to starting position.

In operation of the device, assuming that the upper halving blade is in the position shown 1n Fig. 1, a each is impaled on the lower halving bla e. The upper halving blade is then forced downwardly through the peach until the contiguous cutting edges of the halving blades meet, as shown in Fig.

2. The blades are then latched together by and is notched to engage transversely extending pins 36 carried by the upper halving blade frame. When the latch lever 35 is engaged with these pins 36 the upper halving blade will. be securely held in the position shown in Fig. 3. In this position the halving blades will be united, completely halving the peach.

The lever 26 is then operated to revolve the pitting blade rollers one-half a revolution. This causes the pitting blades to penetrate into the peach at a point closely adjacent and upon opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the p't. As these blades move downwardly into ghe peach their ends will engage the pit an due to their being flexible, the ends of the blades will follow around the contour of the it until the largest diameter of the pit is reached. The blades will then continue to diverge until they engage the marginal edges of the pit receiving opening 19 in the lower blade. Such engagement will cause the ends of the pitting blades to converge and follow the contour of the pit until they are projected within the end of the spike removing tube 20. In such a position the blades will completely circumscribe the pit, as shown in Fig. 3, and will have a bearing at both theirupper and lower ends.

The latch pin 32 is then released and the auxiliary frame is then revolved one-half a revolution. This revolves the pitting blades about the longitudinal axis of the peach and causes the side cutting edges of the pitting blades to sever the pit from the halves of the peach. The halves then drop from the machine completely pitted and the pit automatically discharges due to the spring action of the pitting blades.

The lever 26 is then again operated to withdraw the pitting blades within the guide tube 29 and the auxiliary frame is turned back to starting position. The latch lever 35 is then released to allow the upper cutting blade to be placed in an inoperative position so that a second peach may be impaled on the lower halving blade for a successive operation.

It should. be stated that when the peach is I impaled on the lower blade, the sharpened upper end of the spike removing tube 20 penetrates the peach and removes the spike formation extending from the pit. This spike may pass downwardly through the tube 20 and discharge.

From the foregoing it is obvious that by means of my improved pitting blades that a minimum of meat of the peach will be wasted during the pitting operationas the pitting blades will adapt themselves to the size of the pit and will not remove any more meat than is necessary when removing the pit. Likewise, the concavities formed in the opposite halves of the peach will bethe shape While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined in the a pended claims.

Having thus escribed my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A peach pitting device comprising halving blades having cutting edges adapted to be brought together to halve a peach, flexible pittin blades adapted to penetrate into the. peachfiialved by the halvlng blade and circumscribe the pit, and means for revolving the pitting blades about the lon itudinal axis of the pit to sever it from the alves of the peach..

2. A peach pitting machine comprising a pair of halving blades lying in substantially the same plane and having contiguous cutting edges adapted to receive and halve a peach, a pair of flexible pitting blades adapted to beprojected into a peach halved by the halving blades in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the peach, means for guiding the ends of the blades so that they will closely follow the contour of the pit in the peach while penetrating the peach, and means for rotating the blades in ed to penetrate into the end of the peach at closely adjacent points at opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the peach, the path of movement of the blades being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the peach, the flexibility of the blades causing the latter to deflect when engaging the pit of the peach and to follow the contour thereof until the greatest diameter of the pit is reached, means for causing the ends of the blades to converge from this point so as to continue to follow the contour of the pit until the pit is circumscribed by the blades, and means for revolving the blades about the longitudinal axis of the peach to sever the pit from the peach.

4. A peach pitting device comprising a pair of halving blades lying in substantially the same plane and having contiguous cutting edges adaptedto be brought together to halve a peach and to hold the same for pitting, said blades each having a recess at the center of its cutting edge, said recesses from the peach.

er to form a pit receiving opening within which the pit of the peach being halved is disposed when the halving blades are brought together, a pair of flexible pitting blades arranged in alignment with said pit receiving opening and adapted to be pro ected into a peach supported by the halving blades in a direction substantially parallel to the longtudinal axis of the peach, the flexibility of said blades causing the same to follow the contour of the pit until its greatest diameter is reached, the blades then engaging the marginal edges of said pit receiving opening, such engagement causing the ends of the blades to converge to circumscribe the pit, and means for revolving the pitting blades about the axis of the peach to sever the pit 5. A peach pitting device comprising a pair of halving blades lying in substantially the same plane and having contiguous cutting edges adapted to be brought together to halve a peach and support the same for pitting, said blades each having a recess at the center of its cutting edge, said recesses aligning when the blades are brought together and forming a pit shaped pit receiving opening within which the pit of the peach being halved is disposed when the halving blades are brought together, a tube arranged centrally of one of the halving blades and extending outwardly from one extremity of the pit receiving opening, a pair of flexible pitting blades carried by the other halving blade and adapted to penetrate into the end of the peach and move toward said tube, the flexibility of said blades causing the latter to deflect when engaging the pit of the peach and to follow the contour thereof until the greatest diameter of the pit is reached, then engaging the marginal edges of said pit receiving opening and be uided within the end of said tube to comp etely circumscribe the pit, the means for revolving the blades about the longitudinal axis of the pit to sever the same from the halves of the peach.

6. A peach pitting device comprising a pair of halving blades lying in substantially the same plane and having contiguous cutting edges adapted to be brought together to halve a peach, said blades each having a recess at the center of its cutting edge, said recesses aligning when the blades are brought together to form a pit-shaped pit receiving opening within which the pit of the peach being operated upon is disposed when the halving blades are brought together, a tube fixed to one of the halvin blades and extending parallel to the axis 0 the pit receiving opening and extending from one extremity of said opening outwardly through the cutting blade, the end of said tube contiguous to said opening being sharpened whereby it will penetrate the each and remove the spike when the halving blade severs the peach, a

guide member extending centrally of the other blade from the other extremity of the pit receivin opening outwardly, a pair of flexible gui e blades guided for movement in said guide member, means for projecting said pitting blades through the peach around the pit and into the tube, and means for revolving the guide blades about the longitudinal axis of the peach to sever the pit from the peach.

7. A peach pitting device comprising a stationary lower blade, a movable upper blade adapted to cooperate therewith to halve a peach and secure it for pittin pitting means comprising a pair 0 narrow flexible blades adapted to penetrate the peach and circumscribe the pit, and means for revolvin said blades about the longitudinal axis 0 I the peach to sever the pit from the peach.

8. A peach pitting device comprising a stationary lower blade having a straight upper cutting edge, a movable upper blade adapted to lie in substantially the same plane as the lower blade and be moved toward the latter to sever a peach and hold it for pitting, the cutting edges of said blades being formed with aligned recesses forming a pit receiving opening within which the pit of a peach being operated upon is disposed when the blades are brought together to halve a peach, a tube carried by the lower blade and extending downwardly from the lower extremity of said opening, said tube having a sharpened upper end whereby it will penetrate the peach and remove the spike therefrom when a peach is impaled on the lower blade. a guide extending centrally of the upper blade and terminating at the center and upper end of the pit receiving opening, a pair of flexible blades slidably disposed within said guide and adapted to penetrate the peach and capable through their inherent flexibility to follow the contour of the pit while penetrating the peach until they'circumscribe the pit and pro ect within the upper end of said tube, means for operating said pitting blades, said means comprising a pair of rollers arranged at a spaced distance apart and over which said blades are led and to which the ends of the blades are secured, means for revolving said rollers in opposite directions simultaneously to reciprocate the pitting blades, and means for revolving said pitting blades about the longitudinal axis of the pit to sever the pit from the peach. U

9. A peach pitting device comprising a pair of blade like members, each provided with a recess approximating a portion of the contourof the peach pit, said members being mounted so that they may be separated to permit the insertion of a peach between them, andcapable of being moved so that the recesses in said members ma be brought in matched relation with the pit of the peach in the matched recesses, pliable pitting blades adapted to penetrate endwise into the peach and to be positioned by said members in their respective positions circumscribin the p1t,

and means for revolving said plia 1e blades about the longitudinal axis of the pit to sever the pit from the flesh of the peach.

10. A fruit pittin machine comprising a pair of members, eac ll penetrate endwise into the peach and be in serted between the wall of said recesses and the pit of the peach and means for revolving said pitting-blade about the pit of the vpeach to sever the pit frbm the flesh of the peach. VERNE ALTON TAYLOR.

provided with a recess formed to extend around a substantial por- I 

